1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens barrel assembly and a camera including the lens barrel assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lens barrel assembly having an improved extension structure for extending a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) configured to transmit signals between the inside and the outside of the lens barrel assembly, and a camera including the lens barrel assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a camera includes a lens barrel assembly and a camera body. The lens barrel assembly includes an optical lens installed in front of the camera body. The optical lens guides and forms an image of a subject. Also, a lens barrel including the optical lens is installed within in the lens barrel assembly. The lens barrel is driven along an optical axis so as to perform a zooming operation. The lens barrel receives a driving signal from the camera body via a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).
The FPCB transmits signals between the inside and outside of the lens barrel assembly. In this case, physical interference may be caused during the zooming operation by extension portions that extend inside the lens barrel assembly. This physical interference can thus cause noise and a driving error of a lens barrel assembly. Due to the development of an optical image stabilizing (OIS) correction operation for correcting the adverse effects of a user's hand shaking while using the camera, the number of wires of the FPCB has increased, thereby increasing the width of the FPCB. Accordingly, adverse effects associated with the above-discussed noise and driving error of a lens barrel assembly FPCB have become more serious.
Generally, a separate fixing structure for fixing a FPCB to a lens barrel assembly is utilized. This arrangement, however, increases the number of components and associated manufacturing costs. In addition, the fixing structure installed in the lens barrel assembly may limit the extent to which a camera including the lens barrel assembly can be miniaturized.